New phones introduced at the CTIA Wireless industry confab in New Orleans:

These data-centric handhelds, more closely resembling PDAs than phones, reflect Microsoft's continued push into the wireless market with both the Pocket PC and Smartphone operating systems. They use the CDMA version of Pocket PC software and operate on Sprint's next-generation Vision high-speed wireless network, which accommodates more than a million users.

Familiarity, Flexibility

Made by Samsung and Hitachi, the new offerings are converged voice/data devices that feature integrated digital cameras and pocket versions of Microsoft software — such as Word, Excel, Outlook and Internet Explorer — as well as Windows Media players. The handhelds will be commercially available by the second quarter of 2003.

The smartphones are aimed at both mobile professionals and consumers, according to Sprint spokesperson Suzanne Lammers, who are looking for a single, multitasking wireless device to make calls, access information, and shoot and share digital photos. [NewsFactor]